Downtown Longmont brownstone plans back on track

A rendering of the brownstones planned for Fourth and Terry. A new ownership team has come in and revived the plans first announced last year. (Courtesy of Moore & Bishton Architects)

Plans for a set of 14 brownstones to be built at the northwest corner of Fourth Avenue and Terry Street are back on track, thanks to a new ownership group that has purchased the land.

Don Cheyne is one of two partners behind Longmont Brownstones LLC, a corporation formed to do the development. He and his silent partner bought the property in April for $480,000.

"We have actually purchased the plans that were in progress for the brownstones," Cheyne said.

The previous group, which included former Broomfield Mayor Pat Quinn, had been under contract for the land but never closed on it. They had planned to break ground on the project before the end of 2013.

"They had gotten pretty far along," Cheyne said.

Plans are for 14 one-, two- and three-bedroom townhomes on the site. Tom Moore of Moore & Bishton Architects, who has been retained by the new owners, told the Times-Call last year that the design is meant to be similar to "brownstones or rowhouses that you would see in Chicago." Moore said Tuesday that those plans have not changed, with brick as the main exterior component. The intent is for the townhomes to match the surrounding neighborhood, he said.

The property was formerly owned by Longmont's Lehman family, former owners of the Longmont Times-Call. The approximately three-quarters of an acre includes a 1929-built house that will be removed as part of the development, Cheyne said.

"With any luck we're hoping sometime late July we'll have approval from the city and we can actually begin the permit application process," he said. "We hope to break ground either late summer or early fall."